“Pre-date due diligence is smart” if you don’t want to be surprised on a first date says, AJGpr client, dating and relationship coach, Laurel House. Married daters are more common than we’d like to think, says House, host of the podcast The Man Whisperer in a January 9, 2019, OprahMag.com article. Her tip: “A little pre-date due diligence is smart. Do a Google image search with his photo to see if it links to a Facebook or Instagram account.” This can also protect you from scam artists—be wary if the photos seem too perfect or his language is considerably more fluent in his profile than in his messages. And if he tells you he lost his wallet and needs a loan? Run.
For the full article and more tips from House and other leading coaches and therapists, click here.
How to respond when your child shouts, “You’re Not The Boss Of Me” is the question posed in the Wednesday, November 19, 2018 article in Great Schools. They pointed to 5 different responses parents/caregivers can use without getting into a power play. The #1 piece of advice came from longtime AJGPr client, parenting expert, Betsy Brown Braun. For the full article in GreatSchool, click here.
As reported on November 20, 2018, in an article in the New York Post, “when it comes to fidelity in relationships, a new surprising survey found that 49 percent of men did not think kissing someone else was cheating.” AJGpr client, Dr. Fran Walfish, Psy.D., a leading Beverly Hills-based child, couple, and family Psychotherapist recently weighed in on this newly released survey by the BBC and said that these men are in “denial.” Walfish went on to say, “The guy feels a tinge of guilt for what he knows is wrong behavior, and he can’t tolerate or bear that feeling of guilt, so he rationalizes it by telling himself it’s not cheating.”
For the full article click here.
AJGpr client, Nika Eshetu, owner/founder of Atomic Pilates in NoHo, California is an expert Pilates and golf fitness specialist. Recently, Lori Corbin, fitness reporter for KABC stopped by Atomic Pilates to check out Nika’s golf fitness program. Lori was so impressed, she featured Nika and the Atomic Pilates in this segment on KABC evening news.
PILATES EXPERT OFFERS UNIQUE TOOLS TO HELP GOLFERS GET THEIR GAME ON PAR
What looks like a typical Pilates session is actually a golf workout.
“You’re bending your body in a weird shape that’s not natural – not good for your back. And in order to hit the ball hard and accurately, you need to torque and turn your body,” said Mitch Dunitz, of Sherman Oaks.
Dunitz loves to play golf and does what it takes to improve his game, along with strengthening his body.
Nika Eshetu owns Atomic Pilates and is also a Titlist Performance Institute golf instructor. She sees a growing number of golfers add this component to help their game. As most have this issues with their core and glutes.
“Weak glutes, weak core are the biggest two because they work together,” Eshetu said.
LASplash.com editor Stephan Martin came to Atomic Pilates twice to workout with AJGpr client Nika Eshetu, Master Pilates and Sports Fitness instructor.
Here’s what he said in his article Atomic Pilates and Fitness – The Workout That Your Body Needs.
Pilates and golf might seem like worlds apart, but that is where Nika Eshetu and her Atomic Pilates and Fitness come in to play. Nika has perfected both worlds and can put you through a workout like you have never experienced with her Pilates class. She can also use her expertise in golf to have your body perfectly aligned on every swing.
Atomic Pilates and Fitness, located in North Hollywood, is far more than Pilates and Nika is far more than a Pilates instructor. Nika is the instructor who never stops learning and thus you are the beneficiary. The list of what she has knowledge of is always growing and includes; Pilates Method Alliance (PMA) Certified Instructor as well as a Master Instructor for the Evidence Based Fitness Academy (EBFA). Additional certifications include: National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Certified Personal Trainer, Functional Movement Taping (FMT) 1 and 2 as well as her expertise in golf. Those are a lot of names that might not mean a lot to you, but needless to say if you visit Atomic Pilates, there isn’t much that Nika couldn’t help you with, but it all begins with Pilates.
Atomic Pilates is the Pilates studio for everyone. From the beginner to the person who has been doing Pilates for years, Nika has a class for you and the equipment to challenge you as well. If you are looking to improve your core, posture, flexibility, and endurance, Pilates is for you. Pilates is truly something you have to try to get a true understanding of what it is all about. It will challenge you by working muscles you thought were working, but really weren’t. The workout will leave your body feeling sore, in a new way. But it will also open up your eyes to a new way of exercising and Nika and her staff always make sure that you are using proper technique and getting the most out of every class.
In addition to Pilates, Atomic offers Bodhi Suspension classes. These are ropes that offer you multiple points of suspension. Most suspension systems out there are only two points of suspension. With the Bodhi Suspension System you can have up to four points of suspension. What this means for your workout is that you will have the benefit of being challenged by gravity in more variations and ways that your body has never encountered. Two points can be a workout, four is almost a work of art and will seemingly work every muscle in your body. Again, this is a workout that is different than anything you have ever done before.
Pilates Class
A great way to get introduced to Nika and to see how prepared you are to take her classes, the movement screening is an amazing start. Nika measures your range of motion in a wide variety of areas as well as some other tests to see where you are at physically and what you might improve in. With this test and her knowledge, Nika has a great ability to point you in the right direction and provide you with tips to improve. She can also tape you as you walk and tell you if you are walking correctly and how you can improve in that area. This test alone is worth a visit to Atomic. If you continue with Nika, you can retest down the road and see how you have improved.
Advanced Pilates Movement
“That is why I started doing the screenings and assessments, once they see it in something measurable, then they can say wait things are really changing,” Nika said.
While fitness has become more prevalent in golf, who knew Pilates could be the secret to fixing your golf swing? I would venture not many golfers, but the real key to fixing your golf swing is Nika. While an amazing Pilates instructor, she also is a Titleist Performance Institute Certified Fitness Professional as well as being K-Vest Certified. What does all of that mean? It means even though she isn’t a golfer, she knows more about how to correct a golf swing than almost any golfer out there.
“Golf is not about being super athletic and putting on a lot of muscle, it’s about being fit to play golf and your body having the proper movements and proper range of motion and strength where you need it for the game of golf and it’s about fixing those areas,” Nika said. “The simplest thing is posture it will make the biggest difference, with the mechanics there is a lot going on, the posture is an easy fix for the most part a few exercises a day and almost everyone has something going on with their posture.”
Nika gets you set up in a K-Vest so that your swing is recorded and then she can look at how your body as well as your hands are moving throughout your entire swing motion. This allows her to see if your posture is off or there are any adjustments that need to be made in your stance. Once she has you perfectly aligned, then you can test out your new stance and new swing and you will find out if you are doing it correctly.
Posture is not only important in Pilates as well as any form of exercise and of course golf, but it impacts people in everyday life.
“Now we are starting with kids in elementary school with these heavy backpacks, then reinforced with cell phones and iPad, so they are starting younger and they get older it just gets worse, I see people in their 20’s and 30’s hunched over, that shouldn’t be so, Pilates can make a huge difference,” Nika said.
There are so many reasons to visit Atomic Pilates and Fitness, but the main two are for your own well-being and for Nika. While an amazing instructor, you will always leave a class or session not only feeling a little better but you will always leave with some extra knowledge that will help whether you are simply walking or sitting at your desk and you will feel better for it.
The effect of sitting for prolonged periods can cause strain on the neck and shoulders, back, hips, and legs. In addition, prolonged sitting is linked to heart disease, diabetes, and premature death. Scary? Yes.
Not so scary anymore since nationally recognized celebrity yoga and Pilates teacher, AJGpr client, Kristin McGee came up with a solution in her new book, Chair Yoga: Sit, Stretch and Strengthen Your Way to a Happier, Healthier You (HarperCollins, January 17, 2017). Chair Yoga is for anyone who is sedentary…at their desk, watching television, waiting in a doctor’s office, on a plane, or stuck in traffic during a commute.
A longtime yogi and Pilate’s instructor, Kristin knows that adding the practice of yoga to one’s fitness routine has physical, mental, and spiritual health benefits. She has harnessed her knowledge and beliefs into a comprehensive, accessible, and easy-to-follow yoga instruction guide of 100 chair yoga poses and exercises that can be done daily anywhere, anytime. In just minutes a day, these simple exercises will help activate the breath, the body, and focus the mind to improve one’s happiness and wellbeing.
Chair Yoga has so many benefits — even for that reader who works out daily — adding a gently chair yoga pose here and there throughout the day centers and re-energizes oneself by igniting the breath.
Chair Yoga: Sit, Stretch and Strengthen Your Way to a Happier, Healthier You (HarperCollins) is a fun, accessible guide to 100 yoga poses and exercises can be done daily anywhere, anytime, in a chair and garner remarkable physical and mental health rewards.
You don’t need a mat, you don’t have to stand, and you don’t need to wear yoga pants (though you can if you want to). Just grab a chair and get started.
Kristin created Chair Yoga for the majority of Americans living a sedentary lifestyle and those who find it difficult to fit movement or exercise into their day and the poses are easy enough for all ages and stages. Chair Yoga can be done in a myriad of places: at your desk; on an airplane, bus, or subway; a doctor’s office waiting room, or on your couch at home.
Divided into chapters organized by body part, each exercise includes step-by- step instructions and easy to follow photos. Plus, there are bonus chapters with 5 and 10-minute routines.
For Kristin, “the art of yoga is being able to be present anywhere and tap into your vital life force to keep your body flexible, strong, and healthy.”
AJGpr client, Dr. Norman Marcus, founder of the Norman Marcus Pain Institute, is a leading pain specialist who has revolutionized the how to diagnose and then eliminate the most common causes of pain, without surgical intervention. Today he posted a blog about Rafael Nadal’s recent announcement that he would undergo stem cell treatment to relieve his back pain.
Rafael Nadal will receive stem cell therapy for back-pain. Should-you?
Earlier in November, Rafael Nadal, the 14-time Grand Slam winner, announced he would receive stem cell treatment to help heal his ailing back, the same type of treatment he received for his knee. His doctor in Barcelona, Dr. Angel Ruiz-Cotorro, who has been treating Nadal for 14 years, said, “Nadal’s back pain is ‘typical of tennis’ players in that the treatment is meant to help repair his cartilage.” Stem cells were recently extracted from Nadal for a cultivation process to “produce the necessary quantities,” said Ruiz-Cotorro. Once cultivated, the stem cells will be placed into the joints of his spine with the goal of regeneration of cartilage as well as for an anti-inflammatory effect. Dr. Ruiz-Cotorro predicts that Nadal can return to training in early December.
Will stem cell treatment work for Nadal’s Back Pain?
Stem cell treatment may seem logical in certain situations – for example, if you have a mechanical problem where a knee has worn out cartilage, causing bone to rub against bone, it makes sense to use stem cells to grow new cartilage to have a cushion to protect the bone and cause the knee to be less painful. As much as we may want to see him back on the courtstennisgrabbing more grand slam titles, if Nadal’s stem cell treatment is being used to eliminate his pain by repairing his joints or discs, the actual cause of his back pain may not be addressed.
Where does back pain originate?
The number one reason for back pain is muscular and other soft tissue, yet muscles are rarely evaluated as the cause of back pain. The only way to determine if Nadal’s back pain is from soft tissue and similar to most people with back pain would be a physical examination of Nadal’s back that included identifying possible muscles as the cause of his pain.
Some doctors believe that the disc, the cushion between the bones of the spine (the vertebra), is a major cause of back pain. They believe that surgeries to correct the flattening or herniation of the disc will decrease or eliminate back pain. Sometimes they are right, but they are just as likely to be wrong. The truth is that there is as high as a 50% failure rate for spine surgeries that were done to eliminate back pain thought to be related to disc problems. There are other joints in the spine that are thought to cause pain; one of them is the facet joint, which could also be a target for stem cell treatments.
When doctors rely on an MRI or CT scan to determine the source of the pain, the information obtained is often confusing. If a surgeon sees an abnormality on an MRI, he will often point to that abnormality as the cause of the pain; in my experience the abnormality found on an MRI or CT scan frequently is not the cause. In fact, if you randomly selected 100 people off the street, and perform an imaging scan, 40 may present with a herniated disc and have no pain and absolutely no awareness of their herniated disc; 70 may have degenerated (worn) discs with no pain, and a large number will have facet joint abnormalities. Therefore, finding an “abnormality” is more common than not. One, then, can deduce that the abnormality is more likely NOT the source of the pain. So treating the abnormality (with steroid injections, surgery, or stem cells) may therefore not relieve the pain.
Stem Cell Treatment and Sports Stars
Nadal, currently ranked as the number 3 professional tennis player in the world, is not the first sports star to chase after a “miracle cure.” The Denver Bronco quarterback Payton Manning and Yankees pitcher Bartolo Colon both went abroad to seek out stem cell treatment as a quick fix to get back in the game. (They both seem to be doing better overall, but it is inconclusive if the stem cell treatment was the cause of their recovery).
Will it work?
In the laboratory, it has been possible to demonstrate the ability of stem cells (most commonly found in the developing embryo and newborn) to grow new tissue. These cells are like silly putty; they can turn into, or adapt, to become any type of tissue. For example, a stem cell in the right environment in the body could become bone, cartilage or some organ (for example, liver or pancreas). But, it hasn’t been as easy to grow tissue in an actual person. There are some early studies that show that stem cells “may” relieve back pain, but both the doctors who are testing the technique and outside experts say much more research is needed before they can say whether the treatment offers real relief.
The use of stem cell therapies continues to be a hot topic for debate in the sports medicine and orthopedic surgery worlds. There is no current evidence-based research to prove that it works.
Sir William Osler, a famous physician, once said: “Use every new treatment as quickly as possible before it stops working.” Stem cell treatment needs to be further investigated to determine if stem cell treatments indeed work, and if so, for what conditions?
Since the launch of her book, Keep Calm and Parent On, AJGpr client, parenting expert Emma Jenner continues to make headlines – first with her controversial blog post in the Huffington Post — 5 Reason Modern-Day Parenting is in Crisis and now with her recent post in The Atlantic.com — The Perils of Attachment Parenting. Have a read and share you comments.
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The Perils of Attachment Parenting
Extremes like on-demand breastfeeding can take their toll on parents and children alike.
I could tell from the dad’s voice that he was at the end of his tether. He hadn’t slept in eight months and was utterly spent, all the time. He would fall asleep at his desk or neglect his work. He and his wife always fought and they hadn’t had sex in nearly five months. “What can I do?” he begged me.
I have been a nanny and parenting consultant all of my professional life. Often friends of the families I work for will ask me for advice. The dad on the phone was the friend of a former employer. After asking him a few questions, I knew immediately what the problem was.
The dad and his wife had decided to try “attachment parenting” with their newborn son. That meant they slept in bed with their son every night, fed him milk every time he cried, and carried him everywhere they went in a baby sling. Though the intentions behind the philosophy are wonderful—let’s raise secure, attached, emotionally healthy children—attachment parenting is an unsustainable model. I am an absolute proponent of meeting a baby’s needs—and especially to meeting every need as soon as you can in those first couple of fragile weeks. And some elements of attachment parenting—such as sleeping in the same room as a newborn (but not in the same bed), and baby-wearing when it’s convenient—are great. But like so many trends that catch on through social media and word-of-mouth, it’s gotten out of balance. And like many well-intentioned practices, when taken to an extreme, it loses all value.
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One of the tenets of attachment parenting is that you breastfeed a child on demand. That can lead to a habit where a child will snack—eating a little bit many times throughout the day. It’s much harder to get the baby on a schedule when he’s snacking constantly, and it’s hard for the mom to get anything done, let alone take care of her own needs, while feeding her baby all the time. I also fear that breastfeeding on demand can limit the role of other caregivers. If the baby is eating so frequently, he probably just wants his mother. This limits the potential involvement of dads and non-breastfeeding parents. And though it might seem to make life easier when you don’t need to worry about feeding schedules and having bottles ready, it means the mother must be available to the baby 24/7. That is simply not sustainable. It often means that when a child cries, the first thing he gets is the breast as an offer of comfort, so he doesn’t learn other ways to self-soothe. Nighttime feeding on demand disrupts parents’ and babies’ sleep. If parents set a precedent that nighttime is not mealtime, and feed the baby when he’s hungry but not every hour or so for comfort, children can be sleeping through the night by the time they’re four months old. This leads to a happier and more content baby, not to mention much happier and more rested parents.
Attachment parenting advocates would say that’s one reason mom and baby should sleep together. When the baby wants to eat, the mother can just roll over and feed him. Aside from the safety concerns with co-sleeping, babies do not learn to sleep on their own when they’re snuggled up with their parents. They become used to sleeping with a warm body and heartbeat next to them, and they will come to depend on that. The same is true for constant baby-wearing. It’s hard for a child to be put down alone on a blanket when she’s used to being held all the time. And it’s hard to get anything done—let alone be intimate with your partner—if there’s constantly a baby on your chest.
Attachment parenting encourages responding to your baby immediately each time he cries, or better still, before he cries. But parents don’t get a chance to learn their child’s different cries if they always pre-empt the crying. Is your child hungry? Gassy? Tired? Soiled? Parents learn to develop an ear for their baby’s distinct cries. But in an attachment model, the parents run at the slightest fuss, never giving them the opportunity to recognize their child’s needs.
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What Everyone’s Missing in the Attachment-Parenting Debate
Babies will often put themselves back to sleep if they’re given the chance—but these children never get the chance to self-soothe, to calm themselves down, one of the most important tools a child can develop at an early age. I know eight-year-olds who can’t go on sleepovers because they can’t leave their mother’s bed.
Some people argue that throughout history, all over the world, parents have kept their children by their side at all times. Yet our Western culture hardly resembles these cultures. (Did these parents have commutes and nine-to-five jobs?) Parents need to be able to focus at work, not be sleep-deprived, and devote their affection and attention to their kids when they get home.
Perhaps what’s most concerning to me about attachment parenting, though, is the thread that runs through each of these practices—sharing beds, feeding on demand, keeping the baby close at all times. It is a philosophy of putting children’s needs above parents’, all the time. Parents are at their best when they’ve taken care of themselves—when they’ve had a decent night’s sleep, when they’ve had a chance to connect with their partner, and when they’ve had the opportunity to move around baby-free.
When parents begin a pattern of meeting their child’s every need at the expense of their own, it sticks. It’s hard to pop out of that mindset when your six-year-old wants another cup of milk even though you’ve just sat down for dinner, or when your 10-year-old is eager to add yet another activity to his schedule that would require you to drive across town at rush hour. I’m not suggesting that parents be selfish or ignore their child’s needs, but rather, a balance. Children who grow up seeing that mom and dad are individuals who have needs, too, learn that there is nothing wrong with a little independence, a little patience, and a little self-reliance.
AJGpr client, Dr. Rita Eichenstein s a licensed psychologist with post-doctoral training in pediatric neuropsychology and special education. She specializes in pediatric neuropsychological assessments and parent training skills. Her article Managing Your Emotions After Your Child’s Special Needs Diagnosis was recent;y published in NY Metro Parents. Here it is below.
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MANAGING YOUR EMOTIONS AFTER YOUR CHILD’S SPECIAL NEEDS DIAGNOSIS
From anger and denial to acceptance and joy, parents of children with special needs are sure to experience a mixed bag of emotions. Rita Eichenstein, Ph.D. explains what’s normal and how parents can manage feelings in a healthy way and accept diagnosis.
mother-and-daughter-with-heads-together
All expectant parents share certain feelings—excitement, nervousness, and happy anticipation. When their son or daughter is born, a new feeling emerges: anxious calibration. How does my child compare to all the rest?
When a child is diagnosed with a disorder such as a learning disability, autism spectrum, speech delay, sensory delay, or is just clearly “different” or quirky, the parents’ world can be profoundly shaken. Every parent is on an emotional journey, but for parents of atypical kids there is no roadmap to warn of the pitfalls or point out the best scenery. It is unknown territory.
Until recently, the well-being of these parents has rarely been noticed, let alone addressed. All the attention is focused on the child. That’s understandable, but it is also a big mistake. Doctors, teachers, and therapists depend on parents to be the primary managers of their children’s treatment. If the parent is exhausted from the relentless day-in, day-out challenges, it has an impact on his or her ability to manage that treatment. If Mom is hopeless and depressed, it affects her child. If Dad is angry, distant, or frustrated, the rest of the family is affected. Although these feelings are normal, they have the potential to be destructive. Luckily, there is a way to manage them. It begins by recognizing the feelings—good, bad, and ugly—and learning about them.
What the Journey May Look Like
In my work with parents of atypical children, I have seen that parents go through certain predictable emotions as they become accustomed to their child’s condition. The emotional phases are fluid, with parents often moving in and out of the various feelings several times over the course of a month, a week, or sometimes even a day. These are not just psychological reactions; they are hard-wired into your neurophysiology in the same way that primary responses such as fight-or-flight are hard-wired. The emotions you can expect as a parent of an atypical child may include:
Denial or Emotional Numbing: Although you may have sensed in your gut that something is not quite right, a common response to hearing that your child has a diagnosis is to freeze emotionally while your mind processes the news. That paralysis often takes the form of emotional numbing, and you may go into “autopilot” mode or even deny that there is a problem: “There’s nothing wrong with our son! Boys will be boys!”
Anger or Aggression: As the numbing effects of denial begin to wear off, you are confronted with the reality of the situation. That can be painful, and the pain is often redirected and expressed as anger. Friends, family, teachers, and doctors all can become the target of a parent’s anger, as can the child. It’s especially crucial that you recognize when you are in an anger phase and find an appropriate outlet, as families with atypical children have a higher-than-average rate of divorce and domestic violence.
Bargaining with Fate or Seeking Solutions: A common response to feeling helpless about a child’s condition is an urgent need to gain control over the problem. This is a positive impulse. However, our brains are geared toward simplifying information so that it aligns with what we already believe or understand. Parents may decide, “The Internet says this condition is over-diagnosed! I’ll just put our son on a diet…change schools…convert to Buddhism…pray daily.” Some alternative approaches do work, but the challenge is to weigh reason-based solutions against the lure of magical thinking.
Depression, Isolation, or Shame: Unfortunately, these emotions are somewhat unavoidable when parenting an atypical child. But self-awareness can help you manage your darker moods. For your child’s sake as well as your own, you need to learn self-care strategies for overcoming your occasional bouts of sadness.
Acceptance: Coping with the reality that your child has special needs is a deeply personal experience. Although nobody can fully understand all the emotions you’re going through, getting the support you need will help you reach an inner equanimity and an acceptance of the unique and very real child whose parent you are.
The dignity and grace shown by a number of parents with whom I have worked is truly inspiring. One mother told me, “I can’t believe I’m saying this, because I never would have wished this condition on my daughter, but having a child with autism has enriched our lives. Our family has grown closer, our capacity for empathy has expanded, and our other children have an extra measure of compassion and social awareness.”
No one expects you to be a saint simply because you are the parent of a child with challenges. But my experience with families like yours has shown me time and again that the journey you are on will be full of unexpected feelings and events—sometimes difficult, and sometimes surprisingly joyous.
Dr. Eichenstein is completing a book entitled Positively Atypical for Penguin,
It’s back-to-school — and for some of our children MATH presents all kinds of anxiety. AJGpr client, educational consultant, Angelina Arrington, founder of Academic Savvy – offers this advice in Today’s Parent — It All Adds Up: Five simple ways parents can make a big difference with math learning. Enjoy her “savvy” advice.
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In all my years of teaching, the subject that has seemed to cause the most anxiety amongst parents is math. Hands down, I’ve received most of my panicked phone calls and frustrated emails because a parent felt ill equipped to assist with homework or could not explain math the way the teacher did earlier that day. My philosophy has always been to help families keep things simple. Life is complicated enough with school, activities, family time, and trying to stay sane in the midst of it all.
All children can be successful mathematical thinkers, and mathematics is meaningful when it is varied, rich, and rooted in real problems and applications. With a few, uncomplicated additions to your routine, you can make a significant impact on how comfortable your child is with math. The key is to try one thing, just one, until it becomes second nature, and then build from there. Here are a few easy activities to add to your routine to boost math confidence:
1) Brush up on your math skills and have a Positive Attitude about Math
Some of us don’t remember long division, and converting fractions to decimals is out of the question. Remember the phrase “please excuse my dear aunt sally”? If Order of Operations didn’t come to mind, you might need to brush up on your math skills. Check out YouTube for useful, short clips on problem solving. Sit with your child’s teacher for a review session if necessary. Visit school or volunteer; most teachers are happy to have you help with a lesson. Some schools even sponsor Family Math Night or other activities where families can learn math skills together. Most importantly, never say that you aren’t good at math no matter how unequipped you may feel! You are your children’s model for what is possible, and they might take your words to heart. If you struggle with math and money, let them see you work at overcoming your math challenges. In this case, it is absolutely true that they will do as you DO, not as you say.
2) Practice makes perfect
Familiarity and repetition are keys to success in math. Creating an evening routine to practice math concepts can help things go smoothly at school. A typical routine should include reviewing basic math facts such addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and fraction-decimal-percent equivalents in addition to the completion of homework. This need not take more than ten minutes and can be accomplished through card games or child-friendly online tools or apps. Treat math facts in the same manner as a spelling word list: tackling a bit each day can lead to big payoffs.
3) Play math games and solve puzzles
Games that involve mathematical thinking can also help reinforce what your child learns at school. Consider games such as chess, checkers, and backgammon to work on analytical thinking skills. Games such as Uno help reinforce numeracy skills for younger children, while Monopoly helps school-age children of all ages learn how to count money and count by fives and tens. Puzzles can help with the development of spatial skills and problem solving, and according to research being conducted by the National Science Foundation, could lead to more interest and success in STEM-related fields.
4) Cook Together
Cooking helps reinforce fractions and equivalents. Choose a simple recipe to try with your child when you are free to take your time and make a mess! Be sure to read the equivalent measurement section to help better understand the need for and use of the different size measuring cups. Good Housekeeping and The Joy of Cooking have very good explanations of equivalencies. To make the activity more challenging, try making a dish using only a 1/4 cup, a 1/3 cup, and a teaspoon!
5) Create a math-rich daily life
Whenever you find yourself using math in your daily lives, bring attention to it and discuss math’s usefulness in real-life situations. Encourage your child to experiment with and use everyday math tools such as rulers, tape measures, measuring cups and spoons, clocks and calculators. Analog clocks are helpful in understanding halves and quarters, and its a neat way to learn how to count by five. Place one in the kitchen or other high-traffic area in your home.
Your math routine need not be complicated: simple routines make a measurable difference. Ask your child’s teacher for other suggestions, and use the many resources available to you on the Internet. Most importantly, model using math everyday!
Angelina Arrington is an educational consultant and founder of Academic Savvy (www.academicsavvy.com)
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